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Weekly roundup: Restaurants reopen, no date for murder trial, Kelowna patio expansion revealed

A look at the top stories of the week
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Dave Willoughby stands at the bar on the first day his establishment reopened. (Contributed)

Here are the top stories of the week.

Still no trial date set for West Kelowna man charged in wife’s 2015 death

A West Kelowna man facing murder charges after his wife was found dead in their burned-down home is still without a date to stand trial — more than four years after her death.

Kevin Costin was arrested May 26, 2017, and charged with second-degree murder, arson and indignity to human remains in the November 2015 death of his wife, 37-year-old Hazel Budiongan.

After an already lengthy wind through Kelowna courts, Costin’s trial was slated to begin with jury selection on April 14. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the altering of court procedures, that trial did not go ahead.

Further details about Kelowna’s patio expansion proposal revealed

The city has revealed further details regarding its new plan to close Bernard Avenue to vehicles, allowing businesses — and pedestrians — to expand into the streets.

The mayor announced the potential closure of Bernard on May 21 alongside several other aspects of the city’s plan to reopen amid the pandemic. A report headed to city council next week gives a more in-depth look at what the closure could look like.

Property Tax notices are in the mail: City of Kelowna

Kelowna property owners can expect to receive their 2020 property tax notices next week, according to the city.

While payment is due on July 2, late penalties will not be applied until September 1 as a provision made by the city to help residents struggling financially through the COVID-19 pandemic.

The tax increase was also cut in half, from the initially approved 4.15 per cent to 2.05 per cent.

Kelowna RCMP locate distraught man allegedly wielding firearm in Rutland

The Kelowna RCMP and the South East District Emergency Response Team were called to a complaint of a distraught man with a weapon on Saturday afternoon.

On May 16, around 1:45 p.m., the Kelowna RCMP responded to a complaint of a distraught man who may have been in possession of a firearm. The RCMP contained the area of the 3800-block of Senger Road where he was believed to be located.

Day one of sit-down dining a success for Kelowna restaurants

After COVID-19 forced people into isolation in early March, Kelowna’s downtown core became a ghost town, free from all nightlife and enjoyment — until now.

On Tuesday, May 20, Kelowna had its first look at the re-opening of sit-down dining, which is part of the second phase of B.C.’s restart plan.

Doc Willoughby’s Downtown Pub, also known as Docs, was one of the establishments to open its doors to customers on Tuesday. Dave Willoughby, manager of Docs, said the re-opening was a positive experience, having done an extensive amount of renovations and prep for the day over the last few months.

“It was a steady turn over of customers,” said Willoughby.

“Everybody was quite excited to be in and everyone was quite respectful while waiting in line because of our reduced 50 per cent capacity. It was a really busy day overall.”

Plan B reopens its doors for haircuts in Kelowna during COVID-19

After 12 years in business Plan B Headquarters in downtown Kelowna was forced to temporarily shutter its doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Casey Donovan first opened his barbershop tending to men clients only before expanding to welcome stylists who tailor to women’s cuts. However, as B.C. enters phase 2 of the pandemic and begins to reopen businesses, Donovan, looking at a very different salon than what his business plan was meant for.